Specifically, for every $1 spent on the leading man's films, Estevez generated $6.70 at the box office, the New York Post reports.

The male actors who generated the next best returns were just as surprising. Jean-Claude van Damme raked in $4.20 for each dollar, while other great investments were Mel Gibson ($3.50), Tyler Perry ($3) and Dudley Moore ($3).

Jean-Claude van Damme was the actor with the second best return on investment. Picture: Getty

The results for the worst return also left researchers stunned.

Brad Pitt returned only 10 cents for every $1 spent, making him the least-profitable actor in Hollywood.

Brad Pitt may be one of the biggest stars in Hollywood but he delivers the worst bang for a studio’s buck. Picture: Getty

PartyCasino also crunched the numbers for actresses from the past decade and found that Rose Byrne scored the best return - $9.80 for every budgeted dollar - followed by Regina Hall ($3.50) and Octavia Spencer ($2.90).

A rep told the New York Post that the reason they didn't have the extended data for actresses was because "women, unfortunately, are less likely to be the top-billed actor for a movie."

PartyCasino compiled its list by analysing the top 100 films in each year since 1980. Researchers took each movie's gross from Box Office Mojo, which tracks receipts from theatres in the US and Canada, and subtracted each movie's budget.